Managers Versus Leaders: My Opinion on the Difference!

Dec 2018

This week’s video is about the difference between managers versus leaders.

I was in class a couple of years ago and I asked the students, what is the difference between managers and leaders? After several responses, I asked the students to look up the definition of both terms in the Oxford dictionary.

This is what they found

The definition of a manager from the Oxford dictionary is: “a person responsible for controlling or administering an organization or a group of staff.”

The definition of a leader from the Oxford dictionary is: “a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.”

I personally have a different definition of a leader.

To me, it is a person who decides what a group, organization, or country wants to be (with help from appropriate people) and lays out a course of action to get them there.

After hearing what the Oxford dictionary had to say about the definitions of managers and leaders, I agreed with their definition of a manager, but I disagreed with their definition of a leader.

The difference between the Oxford dictionary definition and my definition…

…is in the word command. This word seems authoritarian to me and not democratic.

Leaders should have a shared vision of where they want to go and get their group, organization, or country to share their vision and know how to run the ship to get there.

Otherwise, you are just managing the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Use It or Lose It – Managers Versus Leaders

In a leadership position, you should be focused on setting the vision and how to get there, not on rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. After all, that’s why you have managers.

When to Use It

If you’re a leader in any capacity (work, family, sports team, etc.), your focus needs to be on the vision and how to get there.

What Do You Think?

Have you experienced situations where your leader acted as a manager, and consequently, screwed up the organization? If you have, please share your experience below.

Until next time, behave and as always…Prime Your Pump!
–Howie

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One Reply to “Managers Versus Leaders: My Opinion on the Difference!”

Dave Savadge says:

December 28, 2018 at 4:29 pm

Quite interesting . I have heard it expressed that a manager can also be a leader, but not the other way around. A leader has managers to work the specifics. The leader focuses on the end goal, and the overall process for achieving the goal. He (or she, if you prefer) assigns tasks and resources (money, people, machinery, workspace) to the managers. The leader must keep track of the timeline, the delivery schedule, allocate additional corporate resources as needed so that the manager succeeds, and most of all, keep the customer happy – which may involve schmoozing and boozing. The manager and his people work the details, and may hire lower level mangers for specific portions of a project.

Good leaders select good managers or subordinates. Good leaders do not grovel in the details.
I will be honest – Having done both, I would much rather manage than lead.

Wishing a very Happy New Year to you and your family.